Working Conditions: Then and Now
This text set aligns to the following standards:
SS Standard/Practices for Grade 8:
Gathering, Interpreting and Using Evidence
Social Studies Framework Standards for Grade 8:
8.2e Progressive reformers sought to address political and social issues at the local, state, and federal levels of government between 1890 and 1920. These efforts brought renewed attention to women’s rights and the suffrage movement and spurred the creation of government reform policies.
ELA CCLS Anchor Standards for Reading:
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
SS Standard/Practices for Grade 8:
Gathering, Interpreting and Using Evidence
Social Studies Framework Standards for Grade 8:
8.2e Progressive reformers sought to address political and social issues at the local, state, and federal levels of government between 1890 and 1920. These efforts brought renewed attention to women’s rights and the suffrage movement and spurred the creation of government reform policies.
- Students will investigate the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and the legislative response.
ELA CCLS Anchor Standards for Reading:
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
Text 1: Set of Historical Photographs
Text 2: Binghamton Press Article, 1913
|
|
*The above excerpt has a Fleisch-Kincaid reading level of 8.8 and a Lexile Level of 1200L
Completing the Set
Text 3: Excerpt from Flesh and Blood So Cheap by Albert Marrin
Pages 122-139; excerpted as needed for your individual class.
For Lexile and Reading Level information on this title, see
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/flesh-blood-so-cheap#cart/cleanup
Text 4: Intro from Recommendations of the Commission
http://trianglefire.ilr.cornell.edu/primary/reports/RecommendationsOfTheCommission.html
Pages 122-139; excerpted as needed for your individual class.
For Lexile and Reading Level information on this title, see
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/flesh-blood-so-cheap#cart/cleanup
Text 4: Intro from Recommendations of the Commission
http://trianglefire.ilr.cornell.edu/primary/reports/RecommendationsOfTheCommission.html
Assessment: Craft a set of rules based on previous documents; compare your recommendations to what the commission recommended (using Text 5)
Text 5: Excerpts from Recommendations of the Commission/Excerpts from NYS Labor Law
Full List of NYS Labor Laws pertaining to Fire Hazard can be found at FindLaw
http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/nycode/LAB/11/3
Text 5: Excerpts from Recommendations of the Commission/Excerpts from NYS Labor Law
Full List of NYS Labor Laws pertaining to Fire Hazard can be found at FindLaw
http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/nycode/LAB/11/3
Please note:
Text 4 & 5 have a reading level well above 8th grade. The intention of using these documents is to expose students to real-world legislative language. These texts may be most effective in a group setting; we recommend that students each use a single section of the "Recommendations" document in conjunction with an accompanying law to examine the connections between the fire, the Commission, and the resulting laws (Text 5). The best instructional practices and uses of these documents depends on many factors; in all cases, instructional decisions and design rests with the expertise and judgement of the teacher.
Text 4 & 5 have a reading level well above 8th grade. The intention of using these documents is to expose students to real-world legislative language. These texts may be most effective in a group setting; we recommend that students each use a single section of the "Recommendations" document in conjunction with an accompanying law to examine the connections between the fire, the Commission, and the resulting laws (Text 5). The best instructional practices and uses of these documents depends on many factors; in all cases, instructional decisions and design rests with the expertise and judgement of the teacher.
Additional Options for Text 3 and 4:
TEXT 3: Video
PBS American Experience - Triangle Fire
PBS Learning Media Triangle Shirtwaist Fire excerpt from the documentary The Jewish Americans.
TEXT 4: Multimedia/Website
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Interactive Website: Add labels to an interactive image, read more about the fire and complete an embedded quiz.
PBS American Experience - Triangle Fire
PBS Learning Media Triangle Shirtwaist Fire excerpt from the documentary The Jewish Americans.
TEXT 4: Multimedia/Website
Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Interactive Website: Add labels to an interactive image, read more about the fire and complete an embedded quiz.
Content Area Connections
In all subject areas, your librarian is a great resource for creating text sets and leading research/inquiry projects.
ArtSuggestion:
Use the painting, "Dress Shop" by Ralph Fasanella, on permanent exhibition at the Fenimore Museum in Cooperstown, to explore working conditions through history. Pay special attention to the yellow sign at the bottom left, and be sure to look carefully in the windows! A "zoomable" image, with magnified details, is available at the American Folk Art @ Cooperstown Blog, by Fenimore Art Museum/Farmer's Museum President and CEO Paul D'Ambrosio. Folk Art: For teachers: http://www.folkartrevealed.org/lessons These lessons explore paintings by Ralph Fasanella:
The site's online gallery allows you to zoom in and see the details of the paintings: http://www.folkartrevealed.org/onlinegalleries MusicSuggestion:
Examine the lyrics of "The Uprising of the Twenty Thousand", and maybe even set the lyrics to music! Or, have students write their own labor songs. Lyrics are available on the Cornell University Kheel Center site. |
ScienceSuggestion:
Continue research on how the fire spread in both the Binghamton Clothing Company fire of 1913 and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911. What were the similarities? Could the fire have been prevented or slowed with technologies that were available in this time period? A great starting point: the Interactive Science of Fire page from PBS. The Binghamton Historical Society has copies of ads for sprinklers taken out just two days after the fire: TechnologySuggestion: Visit the Roberson Museum and Science Center Immersive Factory Experience. After visiting, have students research the evolution of factory work.
-OR- Examine the development of firefighting technology over time. For current information, see this recent WBNG News report: "Technology: A Growing Tool for Firefighters" |